British Pullman carriages at Eastbourne Railway Station this weekend

Vintage Belmond British Pullman carriages will be at Eastbourne Railway Station today (Friday July 17) and tomorrow for a major fundraising event.

Hundreds of people are expected at the station to view the prestigious carriages which are here for the weekend to raise money for St Wilfrid’s Hospice.

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They will arrive tonight at 6.18pm and 12.16pm tomorrow.

The event has been a sell out with people buying tickets for a three and a half hour train journey aboard the train, which is the sister train to the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express.

The event has been organised by Martin Wellings at PST in Grove Road with hospice supporters.

Mr Wellings said, “This is going to be a superb event and the experience will see people enjoy a delicious five course dinner with champagne or fine wine aboard one of the 11 gleaming carriages, each a unique masterpiece from the 1920s or 1930s.

“Passengers will be welcomed onto the train by an immaculately dressed steward, and staff will be on hand throughout the journey to attend to their every need.

A hospice spokesperson said, “PST Travel has made the kind decision to donate a proportion of the ticket price to us to help us continue to support people in our local community. “

Honouring George Mortimer Pullman, the father of luxury train travel, the Pullman carriages are the height of train luxury. Each is individually named with a unique story to tell.

Some have been used extensively by the British royal family. Others have carried luminaries including President de Gaulle and Nikita Khrushchev. Two were part of Winston Churchill’s funeral train.

The oldest carriage, Ibis, dates back to 1925. Others, like Audrey and Vera, survived bomb damage during air-raids over London’s Victoria Station in 1940.

Since making its first trip in 1982, the splendidly refurbished Belmond British Pullman luxury train has delighted passengers on excursions and weekend breaks.

It also carries passengers on the London/Folkestone section of the legendary journey aboard the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express that continues via Paris to continental destinations, including Venice, Prague and Istanbul.

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